Usher Wood
by Alive Through Writing
Summary: The explanation of Ginny and Oliver's choice of naming their son Usher. A sad story with Severus and Hermione


'He's an angel!' Molly squeled in delight as she took in the appearence of her young grandson for the first time. At the age of three weeks, Usher had straight dark red hair and deep blue eyes, which he got from his father. He was sitting in his highchair playing with his toy unicorn that his 'Aunt' Hermione had enchanted to fly around him and talk before he was born.

'Oh, Ginny I'm so proud! What did you name him?' she asked Ginny and her husband.

'Usher Damian Wood' Oliver replied proudly.

'Usher?' Ron asked snorting, 'Why would you name the kid 'Usher' for merlin's sake'.

'Well we did it for Severus and Hermione' Ginny replied.

'What? They wanted you to name him that?' he asked.

'Well, as they were our best friends we wanted to remember them.' Ginny replied, trying to keep the tears back at the thought of Severus and Hermione guarding her and Oliver's way out of the few death eaters that were left.

'What are you talking about? What do you mean you 'wanted to remember them'? Is something wrong? Has something happened to them?' Harry asked concerned. None of them had seen Hermione and Severus for around 3 months. It wasn't unusual, sometimes, due to work and other commitments, they didn't see them for around 6 months.

'Oh Merlin! how on earth did we forget?' Ginny cried, no longer able to keep the tears away she fled from the room and ran out to the garden.

Looking at Oliver for an explanation, all the people left on the room stood in silence.

'Perhaps you should all sit down, what I have to say will most likely come as a shock to you all.' Oliver said, trying desperatly to keep his strength. They all sat in the living room and stared at him.

'About a month ago Ginny and I went to meet with Hermione and Severus to catch up. They wanted to tell us something very important to them and we were there to celebrate. Anyway, just before they could tell us what is was, the pub became populated with death eaters. Hermione and Severus made us leave and fought along with a few other people who were there. There were five casualties; Bellatrix & Rodolphus Lestrange, MacNair, and Severus and Hermione.' Oliver explained with sorrow. The room was silent. Everyone was in absolute shock. Their friends had died and they hadn't been there for them.

'We named our son Usher as it's a mix of their names, Us from Severus and her from Hermione, see? Usher, it's like Sever_usHer_mione' Oliver explained.

~~~ONE MONTHS EARLIER~~~

Hermione and Severus sat at a table at the Leaky Cauldron hand in hand smiling at each other waiting for their best friends. A chime went off at the door and they turned to see Ginny and Oliver arm in arm. Waving them over Hermione smiled at Severus and waited.

As they sat down, Hermione noticed how being pregnant had made Ginny seem so happy and radiant.

'So as we're here because you two wanted to tell us something, what is it?' Oliver asked joyfully.

Hermione and Severus looked deeply into each others eyes and were about to tell them when a cold gust of air came through the door. They turned and saw three death eaters. Yes the war was over, but there were still death eaters out there, waiting to try and show how they were still followers of Voldemort, even though he was dead. One pointed to the couples table and they started towards them.

'We have to get everyone out of here' Hermione said to Severus who nodded in reply. He quickly grabbed his wand and silently cast a temporary pausing spell on the death eaters. This way they could not hear or see anything, the were frozen in time.

Severus stood on his chair and called for everyones attention. 'Ok, we're going to all stay calm and get out of here, but we're going to need some help'.

A few people stood up to help, including Oliver and Ginny. 'No! You two are to go straight to Hogwarts and inform Minerva, you need to protect your child!' Hermione yelled at them. 'Go now!' and the two ran out the back door.

'Now those who are going to help, stay here, everyone else, get out now!' Severus yelled.

Looking around at the people left Hermione noticed Colin and Denis Creevey were there, she looked back at the death eaters and saw the bright shimmer around them start to fade.

'They're coming back! Everyone get ready!' Hermione yelled as the death eaters started to move.

'What the hell? Where did they all go?' one said with a very familiar voice.

'Well Mr. Malfoy, I dare say I didn't teach you _all_ I know' Severus said to the death eater.

The fight seemed like a dream to Hermione. It didn't seem quite real. Severus fought one of the older death eaters, MacNair, while Hermione fought Malfoy.

'You know, I always hoped I'd be the one to finish you of Mudblood. It seems I'm going to get my way, as always.' Malfoy taunted.

'But Draco, don't you realise that I've always been smarter than you, you haven't a chance in hell!' Hermione replied satisfied with the look of pure hatred she had produced in his eyes.

Draco pointed his wand at her. 'Cruci-'

'Expeliarmus!' Severus cried from the other end of the room. He had just finished with MacNair when he went to see how his partner was going when he saw Draco about to inflict so much pain on the love of his life.

Draco's wand went flying in one direction while he went the other, knocking himself out as he hit the fire place. Unfortunatly Bellatrix Lestrange had taken advantage of Severus' turned back and sent a curse flying towards him. 'Avada Kedavra' she screached.

As if in slow motion, Severus dropped his wand and his smile lowered, his eyes never leaving those of Hermione's as she ran towards him and held him as he fell to the ground. 'Don't leave me Severus! Please don't go!' Hermione cried as her love crashed to the floor.

'I- I-I I- lo-lov-love- yo- you' he whispered as he left the world of the living.

Determind to get revenge, Hermione stood, tears in her eyes, and searched for Bellatrix through the fire of spells. Finding her about to cast a curse at Colin Creevey, Hermione sent one at her first.

'Crucio!' she yelled, enjoying the horride look of pain on her face as she stuggled hopelessly against the curse. Hermione sent another curse at her, this time ending her life silently.

All seemed to be going to there side except for having lost Severus. The death eaters were highly out numbered.

Hermione knelt next to her dead love and wept. She knew that there side was winning so she let herself have a few moments of grief.

On the other side of the room, Draco Malfoy was regaining conciousness. As he stood he saw Hermione kneeling. It was too good to be true. He found his wand and, without anyone noticing him, he cast the last curse he would ever send. 'Avada Kedavra!' he yelled pointing his wand at her.

She didn't bother to turn around, she wasn't even upset. She was going to be with Severus for the rest of time.

She fell dead upon his body with a smile on her face. She was going to be with him again.

The fight ended soon after and those death eaters who remained alive were sent to Azkaban without trial.

~~~ Later that day ~~~

As members of the order went through the dead bodies looking for their friends later that day, Ginny found the two bodies she dreaded seeing. Hermione and Severus. The thing that really got to her was that Hermione and Severus were hand-in-hand. Looking at their fingers entwined she saw something that caught the light. On Hermione's ring finger was a simple engagement ring. The thing that they had wanted to announce was their engagment.

Ginny cried for days. Her best friend had been truely happy when she had died.


End file.
